Upper Colorado River Commission

A "miracle May" has turned around grim water supply prospects for the region, at least for this year, several speakers told the Upper Colorado River Commission Thursday in Durango. The commission has one representative from each of the four Upper Colorado River Basin states (Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, and New Mexico) and one federal representative.

The water in Navajo Reservoir could play a role in meeting Colorado River Compact obligations in the event of continued drought, Bruce Whitehead, director of the Southwestern Water Conservation District said Friday.

The severe risks of an extended drought in the Colorado River Basin – a shutdown of hydropower generation, functionally empty lakes, and restrictions on water use – are forcing the basin’s seven states to consider unprecedented changes in how they manage a scarce resource.